CONTENTS Page Determinations ....................................................................................................................... 1 Views of the Commission ........................................................................................................ 3 Part I: Introduction ................................................................................................................ I‐1 Background ................................................................................................................................ I‐1 Statutory criteria and organization of the report ..................................................................... I‐2 Statutory criteria ................................................................................................................... I‐2 Organization of report ........................................................................................................... I‐3 Market summary ....................................................................................................................... I‐3 Summary data and data sources ............................................................................................... I‐4 Previous and related investigations .......................................................................................... I‐4 Nature and extent of alleged subsidies and sales at LTFV ........................................................ I‐5 Alleged subsidies ................................................................................................................... I‐5 Alleged sales at LTFV ............................................................................................................. I‐6 The subject merchandise .......................................................................................................... I‐7 Commerce’s scope ................................................................................................................ I‐7 Tariff treatment ..................................................................................................................... I‐8 The product ............................................................................................................................... I‐8 Description and applications ................................................................................................. I‐8 Manufacturing processes .................................................................................................... I‐12 Domestic like product issues .............................................................................................. I‐18 Ultra‐thin gauge aluminum foil ....................................................................................... I‐18 Physical characteristics and uses .............................................................................. I‐18 Manufacturing facilities and production employees ................................................ I‐19 Interchangeability ..................................................................................................... I‐20 Customer and producer perceptions ........................................................................ I‐20 Channels of distribution ............................................................................................ I‐20 Price .......................................................................................................................... I‐21 Fin stock .......................................................................................................................... I‐21 Physical characteristics and uses .............................................................................. I‐21 Manufacturing facilities and production employees ................................................ I‐22 Interchangeability ..................................................................................................... I‐22 Customer and producer perceptions ........................................................................ I‐23 Channels of distribution ............................................................................................ I‐23 Price .......................................................................................................................... I‐24 i CONTENTS Page Part II: Conditions of competition in the U.S. market ............................................................ II‐1 U.S. market characteristics ....................................................................................................... II‐1 Channels of distribution ........................................................................................................... II‐1 Geographic distribution ........................................................................................................... II‐2 Supply and demand considerations ......................................................................................... II‐3 U.S. supply ............................................................................................................................ II‐3 U.S. demand ......................................................................................................................... II‐5 Substitutability issues ............................................................................................................... II‐7 Lead times ............................................................................................................................ II‐7 Factors affecting purchasing decisions................................................................................. II‐8 Comparison of U.S.‐produced and imported aluminum foil ................................................ II‐8 Part III: U.S. producers’ production, shipments, and employment ....................................... III‐1 U.S. producers ......................................................................................................................... III‐1 U.S. production, capacity, and capacity utilization ................................................................. III‐4 Alternative products ............................................................................................................ III‐5 U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments and exports ........................................................................... III‐6 U.S. producers’ inventories ................................................................................................... III‐10 U.S. producers’ imports and purchases ................................................................................ III‐10 U.S. employment, wages, and productivity .......................................................................... III‐11 Captive consumption ............................................................................................................ III‐11 Transfers and sales ............................................................................................................ III‐12 First statutory criterion in captive consumption ............................................................... III‐12 Second statutory criterion in captive consumption .......................................................... III‐12 Part IV: U.S. imports, apparent U.S. consumption, and market shares ................................ IV‐1 U.S. importers.......................................................................................................................... IV‐1 U.S. imports ............................................................................................................................. IV‐2 Negligibility ............................................................................................................................ IV‐11 Apparent U.S. consumption and market shares ................................................................... IV‐12 Part V: Pricing data ............................................................................................................... V‐1 Factors affecting prices ............................................................................................................ V‐1 Raw material costs ............................................................................................................... V‐1 U.S. inland transportation costs ........................................................................................... V‐2 Pricing practices ....................................................................................................................... V‐2 Pricing structure ................................................................................................................... V‐2 Pricing methods .................................................................................................................... V‐3 Sales terms and discounts .................................................................................................... V‐5 Price data .................................................................................................................................. V‐5 Price trends ......................................................................................................................... V‐14 Price comparisons .............................................................................................................. V‐16 Lost sales and lost revenue ...................................................................................................